A Turn Of Fate
by Artemisdesari
Summary: Darcy did not make it to Ramsgate to prevent the elopement and so did not go to Netherfield. How will he react to Elizabeth now, eighteen months after Georgiana's elopement, when he has suffered from such a great betrayal of trust?
1. Chapter 1

_**First Pride and Prejudice fic, though certainly not the first fic that I have ever written. I simply wanted to explore the idea that perhaps Darcy didn't get to Ramsgate in time to stop the elopement and look at how that might affect his interactions with the Bennetts. It's probably been done to death but it's going to keep me occupied while I'm on maternity leave and waiting for the baby to turn up.**_

_**Disclaimer: I only wish, but no, not mine. **_

A Turn of Fate.

"Such a shame," Caroline Bingley commented to her companions as her brother led his guest from the parlour, "to see such a great man humbled and humiliated so."

The eyes of both women turned upon her, both inquiring, both curious. It was the older of the two, however, who responded.

"How so, Caroline?" Jane Bingley asked her sister of nearly a year. "Mr Darcy appeared perfectly amiable."

"You would not know, of course," Miss Bingley responded, her tone condescending and her eyes sparkling with a malice which was missed by the elder but not by the younger woman. "This is your first season and it happened before we were acquainted.

"Mr Darcy, you see, is a gentleman of no small fortune from Derbyshire, a man whom I once could have quite happily set my cap for. If not for the disgrace that his sister brought upon him eighteen months ago I still would. I had always thought Georgiana Darcy to a dear, sweet, girl, if a little shy, and I had been certain that a continued friendship with Louisa and I could only serve to benefit her. We truly had no idea what lurked beneath that darling exterior. Nor, I believe, did Mr Darcy, though how her guardian could miss such a vital defect of personality I shall never understand." She looked at her audience. Both women were watching her, one with sorrow and compassion and the other with a measure of disbelief and contempt. "It is my understanding that Mr Darcy sent his sister to Ramsgate to recover from a nasty cold in the hopes that the sea air would revitalise her spirits.

"While there she met with a childhood friend, a Mr Wickham, and was seized with such a love for him that within days of their re-acquaintance they had eloped together. Mr Darcy, naturally, tried to smooth over the whole affair but not even ten thousand a year and the support of his uncle, the Earl of Matlock, could prevent the wagging tongue of Georgiana's companion."

"Poor Mr Darcy," Jane sighed, "to be so let down by someone so dear."

"Indeed," Caroline sniffed. "The shame of it. I should dearly hate for such a thing to happen with one of _your _sisters," her gaze was pointed. "Especially the _younger._"

"It is my hope that Lydia and Kitty would show greater sense than that," Jane replied with a glance at the still silent third occupant of the room.

"Of course, one should always believe the best of one's own family, but as this unfortunate event shows even the best of us can be tempted," Miss Bingley shook her head and sighed. "Had Mr Darcy only seen sense and taken a wife, a woman who could be a sister to Georgiana and who could have provided her with proper friendship and guidance. All for nothing his time spent looking for a loving and equal wife for now even a woman of lesser standing would have to refuse him or be tarnished by his sister's reputation. Not even his wealth can recover his position in society now."

"Perhaps not," the third woman finally spoke, her tone flinty and her green eyes hard, "but all his standing in society and all his wealth should not matter to a woman who truly loves him. Forgive me, I do not know the gentleman at all, but I should imagine that he has more to recommend him to a young lady than his wealth, looks and position."

"Mr Darcy has a great deal to recommend him, Eliza," Miss Bingley replied coldly, "but surely even you cannot be so naive as to believe that a marriage under such circumstances would not be strained."

"From my own observations, Caroline, I would say that _all_ marriages go through periods of strain," Elizabeth got to her feet. "If you'll both excuse me, I think I'll take a turn about the garden before dinner."

oOo

"Has there been any word of her?" Charles Bingley asked his friend. Darcy stared down at his brandy, his eyes distant and his face marked with lines that had not been present eighteen months before.

"Nothing," he sighed. "My sources lost her about six months ago and have not been able to locate her since."

"I cannot imagine what you must be going through," Bingley muttered, his cheerful persona melting away to be replaced by a rarely seen more serious mien. "If there is anything I can do you have only to ask."

"Thank you, Bingley, though I would not wish for your continued association with me to impact upon _your_ life."

"Nonsense," Bingley smiled, "at a time such as this a man needs all the friends that he can get. Besides, I am of too little consequence in the grand scheme of things for it to affect me too badly."

"What of your sister? Surely association with me will impact upon _her_ prospects." To his surprise his friend laughed heartily.

"This whole affair has already damaged her plans my friend," he peered over the rim of his glass with an uncharacteristically sly smile. "Surely her rather marked attentions towards yourself had not gone unnoticed?" Darcy's scowl prompted another laugh. "I thought not. I am positive her attentions will change direction, just as I am certain that you are far more pleased to hear it than you are willing to admit."

Darcy's reply was prevented by a light tap on the door of his study. Upon Bingley giving his permission to enter the door opened to reveal the beautiful blonde he had married. Though not strictly to Fitzwilliam Darcy's tastes he could see much of that classical beauty which would have attracted Charles to her in the first place.

"Forgive my interruption," her words were accompanied by a smile as gentle as her voice and Darcy found himself becoming intrigued by this woman who had so completely captured the heart of his friend.

"Not at all, my love," Bingley answered with a smile of his own as Jane came into the room fully.

"I had a feeling you would still be here, sir," she turned her attention from her husband to his friend. "Would you join us for dinner this evening? It is only a small family meal but I would feel truly awful turning any friend of my husband's out into the night."

For a long moment Darcy struggled with his answer. His words to Charles earlier had been sincere, he had no desire for his friend to be negatively impacted by continued association with a man so disgraced by his family. Good and true friends, however, were hard to come by and Charles Bingley had proved himself to be one of the best.

"I would be delighted, Mrs Bingley," he formed a half bow.

"Then if you gentlemen will excuse me, I must instruct Harris to set another place at the table."

oOo

Dinner was distinctly less uncomfortable than Darcy had feared a meal with Caroline Bingley and a woman unknown to him to be. Caroline's behaviour he could predict and marshal his defences against. It was the attitude of Elizabeth Bennett, whom he had only met when Bingley had introduced them that afternoon, which left him more than a little apprehensive. Accustomed to being a target of fortune hunters he knew that even though his position in society had diminished there were some who would view his money as an adequate compensation for his tarnished name. He had no idea whether or not Elizabeth would fall into this category of woman.

From his initial meeting with her Darcy had already acknowledged that she was an attractive woman, if not in the same classical way as Mrs Bingley. Dark haired where her sister was fair and possessed of more curves where both Caroline and Jane could be better described as willowy. It was her _eyes, _however, that had first caught his notice. Though the same emerald green as that of her sister they sparkled with a wit and liveliness that he had never seen in a woman before. He found himself curious to know her better in a manner he had not been for many years.

"I understand you are from Derbyshire, sir," Elizabeth broke his from his thoughts from her seat next to him. Across the table he could not help but notice that Miss Bennett's words had drawn the attention of Caroline Bingley and unconsciously he braced himself for an onslaught of her unasked for opinions.

"Yes, although I have not had the luxury of returning to Pemberly for some time."

"Pemberly?" Mrs Bingley also joined the conversation. "Is that estate not near Lambton?" He nodded. "Why, Lizzie, that is where our Aunt Gardiner grew up."

"I believe you are right, Jane," Miss Bennett laughed. "Our aunt, Mr Darcy, has told us many tales of her home and the surrounding countryside. From her words I would imagine it quite beautiful."

"You would not be disappointed," he assured her politely as he began to wonder if this talk of his home and estate was once more an attempt to secure his interest.

"I am glad to hear it," replied she, "but I confess that I have a far greater desire to see the Lakes over the hills of Derbyshire. I have read so much of the paths and lakes that I find that other options pale in comparison."

"Eliza, you see, is a highly accomplished walker," Miss Bingley cut in with a grin of her own that Darcy could only call vicious. "I once knew her to walk above three miles in the mud the morning after a terrible storm."

"Caroline would have you believe that I did such a thing out of a desire to simply be difficult and not abandon my usual habits and enjoyments." Elizabeth's own tone had become icy. "In actuality I was visiting Jane who had fallen ill at Netherfield while dinning with Caroline and Mrs Hurst the night before."

"Come, Lizzie," Mrs Bingley stepped in, preventing Caroline from uttering the sharp retort that was doubtless on the tip of her tongue. "You must admit that you got a great deal of enjoyment from the walk. As you always have."

"Indeed I did," Elizabeth agreed with her sister, "and I confess that it is one of the things that I miss the most about being in town. Of course there are the parks, but I find that I miss the untamed beauty of the countryside."

"There is, however, a greater amount of society in town, would you not agree, Mr Darcy?" Caroline drew him back into the conversation.

"Indeed, country society can be viewed by many as confined and unvarying."

"I would not disagree," Elizabeth turned her attention to him once more, her eyes sparkling with the spirit of the discussion. "Certainly since I have been visiting my sister I find myself with an ever increasing number of acquaintances. Occasionally, however, I find myself longing for the familiarity and close friendships of my home. As I am certain that there are many who would feel the same way."

After that the conversation had become more trivial and dinner had passed in that less than easy manner which always occurs when near strangers dine together for the first time.

Since it was only a small family meal the sexes did not separate afterwards, instead retiring together to the drawing room. Once seated Darcy was startled to hear Caroline pressing Miss Bennett to open the pianoforte and grace them with a performance. Accustomed to ladies who would not hesitate to grasp at the opportunity to display their talent he was somewhat surprised by her reply.

"I am certain that Mr Darcy is used to being in the presence of far better performers than I, Caroline. Why do _you_ not favour him with a song or two instead?"

"Nonsense, Eliza," Caroline scoffed. "Mr Darcy has heard me play dozens of times in the past. I absolutely insist. Jane, do you not think Eliza should favour us with a performance this evening?"

"Oh please, Lizzie," Mrs Bingley's face seemed to light up at the idea. "It has been too long since I heard you sing."

At the urging of her sister Miss Bennett had agreed to the request and chosen a song from the music available. Sparing a poorly concealed glare at the instigator of the activity she played the first bars and began to sing. Though pleasing, her performance was not to the standard that he was accustomed to hearing. There was, however, something about the unaffected way that she played and sang that gave him more real enjoyment than such a performance had since Georgiana's elopement. The wave of grief and longing for his sister hit him so hard and so suddenly that he knew it must have shown on his face for the briefest of moments before he managed to conceal it again.

Not long after he excused himself for the night and returned to his too empty town house.


	2. Chapter 2

_**First of all, thank you to all of my reviewers. This was much better received than I had expected it to be and I only hope that the rest of the chapters live up to the expectations of others. Secondly, this would have been longer, but it's my last week of work and I find myself a lot more tired than I had expected to be and so it is much harder to focus in the evenings. Rather than leave you all hanging I give you a short chapter instead. And finally, I would usually reply to all my reviews so if I missed you then I apologise. Again I can only say that my last days at work are proving more tiring than I had expected them to. That said, baby tends to keep me up at night kicking, so I get the odd bit done here and there when I can't sleep. That probably contributes.**_

Chapter Two.

Though a she took a great enjoyment in the study of character Elizabeth found that Mr Darcy was a man that she could not figure out. Once upon a time she would have taken his silence during dinner as pride, a wealthy man made uncomfortable by the low birth of both Jane and herself. Knowing his past, however, the loss and betrayal of his sister, she supposed that his silence was due more to wariness of intent than pride in his status. Certainly she could see that there was little affection in him for Caroline, whether the woman could have once considered him as husband material or not. There was not even the indication that he was suffering from disappointed hopes on that score. Rather he seemed to have done everything in his power to avoid coming to her attention, much in the same way that she had observed he had tried to avoid her own notice.

Bingley had implied that his friend was an intelligent man, a man of great conversation, well read with a great love of the countryside and his sister. The man she had met was an enigma and Elizabeth dearly loved a mystery. There was, she had concluded, no harm in getting the know the man better if she was able. She was unknown among the ton, had no reputation in town to protect, and once she returned to Hertfordshire after this visit no one in Meryton and the surrounding country would care who she had associated with while there. Clearly Bingley had no intentions of cutting his friend from his life, which in Elizabeth's eyes could only endear her new brother to her more, and so it was likely that she would spend more time in his company over the coming weeks.

It was a topic she had mused upon in moments of solitude, though those were few and far between with the stream of visitors who still constantly came to the house to meet the new Mrs Bingley. It was also something that she thought on as they made their way to the theatre several days after she had met Darcy. Jane and her husband were talking quietly to one another, something she did not begrudge them as it pleased her to see Jane so happy, and Caroline was staring out of the window of the carriage as they passed through the streets. The silence of her new sister was something that Elizabeth had become accustomed to over the fifteen months of their acquaintance. The two women had little in common, Caroline preferring to talk about fashion and society gossip while Elizabeth preferred literature, and so by silent agreement they avoided conversation with one another where possible. Caroline despaired of Elizabeth's country manners, tastes and attitudes, Elizabeth believed that Caroline thought herself too fine for a lady whose money had come from trade.

Upon arrival at the theatre Caroline hurried off to greet a number of dear friends, though Elizabeth had her own suspicions that she was just as eager to greet the women as she was to avoid being associated with her less than fashionable new sisters, and the remaining three members of their small party began to make their way to their seats confident that she would join them before the start of the play.

"Darcy!" Bingley's joyful greeting of his friend startled Elizabeth from her half curious study of the décor. She followed as they changed their course and approached the gentleman in question. He was stood with an older man and woman, both obviously people of wealth and fashion, and there could be no denying that he looked decidedly uncomfortable in his current setting. It made Elizabeth wonder if he was, as opposed to proud, simply shy of large crowds.

"Bingley," the two shared a bow. "Might I introduce my aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Matlock." The older couple inclined their heads politely.

"It's an honour," Bingley smiled, "this is my wife, Jane, and her sister, Miss Elizabeth Bennett." The introductions taken care of he turned his attention back to his friend. "I confess I had not thought to see you here tonight."

"My aunt insisted, she is of the opinion that secluding myself entirely from society is both unnecessary and foolish. I had hardly expected to see you here either, however, as I recall the works of the Bard are not among those that you generally enjoy."

"No, I confess you have that absolutely right."

"The fault is mine, sir," Elizabeth admitted, "I am a great lover of the works of the Bard, particularly his comedies, and I found that I could not visit with my sister in town and pass up the opportunity to see one of them brought to life."

"I should have thought Romeo and Juliet would be more to the taste of a young lady than the comedies," Darcy replied, sharp eyes upon her as though studying her reactions.

"Certainly the romance of the play has it's appeal," Elizabeth replied, "but I find that the real tragedy of it is not the death of the young people but the foolishness that leads up to it. I am more inclined to laughter than melancholy, however, so I find that the tragedies hold little appeal when compared with the comedy of errors in Twelfth Night."

"You must be disappointed, then, Miss Bennett, that the play tonight is King Lear," Lady Matlock joined them.

"Of course not, I can take enjoyment from any of his works and the joy here is in the experience," Elizabeth insisted.

"I have heard much the same thing said by my..." Darcy trailed off before finishing his sentence. "Forgive me." He turned from the group and disappeared into the crowd.

"Perhaps it was too soon, my dear," Lord Matlock said to his wife. "He was never easy in society and I fear Georgiana's loss has affected him more than we thought it would."

"He cannot hide from society forever," Lady Matlock insisted.

"Can you blame him for attempting to avoid their judgements?" Her husband questioned.

"Perhaps society should look to itself before people decide they have a right to judge," Elizabeth offered as the crowds around them began to move. "It was a pleasure to meet you both," she finished as they were all drawn apart.

Her meeting with Darcy and the Matlocks was something that Elizabeth would think on over the coming days, but for that evening it was the joys of the play that held her attention.

oOo

She stood at the window, her eyes unseeing as she stared at the street below. An absent hand moved with a deceptive tenderness over the swell of her stomach, barely disguised by the dress that was obviously too big for her fragile frame. Her husband, and how she shuddered to think of him in those terms, had not been seen for three days and she found herself hoping that his taste for gambling and women of loose morals had finally caught up with him. She found herself hoping that she would then be free after eighteen months of heartbreak, humiliation and fear.

"You must eat, ma'am," a gentle voice chided from behind her. "If not for yourself then for the child."

The young woman turned her eyes upon her maid, a girl of no more than five and twenty years, who had been hired more for the sake of appearances than her husband's desire to spend her fortune on anyone other than himself. His wife, after all, must look the part even if his idea of a marriage and hers differed wildly.

"_His_ child, you mean," she never spoke his name, the pain of realising she had been little more than a ticket to wealth with the advantage of revenge had been too much. "He does not want this child any more than I do. Why condemn the babe to the curse of an unloving and disinterested father?"

"The child is innocent in this, ma'am," the servant pointed out.

"Such innocence is a curse, not a blessing, Mary, as I discovered to my cost." She turned back to the window and to her vigil. "Still, you can leave the tray, perhaps later I will attempt to eat something."

He would be angry, she knew, if he found out that she was not eating for if she died her fortune would not pass to him. It would return to her brother unless a child was born of the union between them. Then, she knew, he would squander it away until their baby was left with nothing. She could not inflict that upon a child. Even though she did not fear for her _own _life, however, she _did_ fear for what he would do to Mary if he found out that the girl had failed him.


	3. Chapter 3

_So some answers come and more is set up. Love the reviews I've been getting, keep them coming because they really do encourage me to write this. My due date draws ever nearer and this is definitely filling part of my time and stopping me from over doing things (which is a terrible habit I have)._

"I thank you for taking the time to see me, Mr Gardiner," Darcy said as he shook the offered hand of the tradesman Bingley had just introduced him to.

"Not at all, Mr Darcy," Edward Gardiner gestured for both of the younger men to take seats as he settled himself behind his desk. "My nephew tells me you are in need of assistance."

"Indeed, sir, although the matter is of a delicate nature."

"You can be assured of my discretion. I assume it has to do with your sister." At the puzzled expression on the younger man's face Mr Gardiner smiled in a rather sly manner. "I might be a man of trade, Mr Darcy, but even I hear the gossip of the ton on occasion. My servants do, after all, have friends and family that I do not employ. Lamentable as her position is, however, I fail to see what use I can be of to you in regard to it."

"I have not seen my sister, nor had any communication from her, since a month after her elopement," Darcy's voice was soft, his grief at the disappearance of his sister still more profound than he would have thought it could be after all the time that had passed. "I have contacts in many parts of England and I have been using them to attempt to locate her. I am beginning to conclude, however, that my contacts do not move in the same circles as Mr Wickham."

"You wish for _my_ help in locating them?" Mr Gardiner asked with a quirk of his eyebrows. It would not be an easy task, Darcy was well aware of the enormity of the favour he was asking of a man he barely knew. It had taken Charles many hours of careful persuading to convince him to come here and ask for this help and Darcy could only hope that his friend was right about coming to Mr Gardiner. He could only hope that the man's trade connections would open doors that Darcy was unable to access. Hope, he had learned, was a foolish thing and trust something easily destroyed.

"Your people move in different circles to Darcy's, Uncle," Bingley clarified, "and you have many more contacts than he does. It is possible that Mr and Mrs Wickham are in a part of the country that his people have not yet searched."

"It is possible," Mr Gardiner agreed. "Tell me, Mr Darcy, how do you suppose they are living? What employment would Mr Wickham seek?"

"He would not need to," Darcy admitted. "When I learned that the elopement, the marriage, had taken place I was less than eager to welcome them both into my home but I knew of Wickham's past. I knew they would not be able to live comfortably, or even well, on any money that he could make from any form of gainful employment, if he was even able to find work. So I paid to put them into an inn for a time while my lawyers and I organised access to Georgiana's dowry ." He noticed the surprise on the faces of the other men. "I did not want her to live in the poverty I knew her elopement should have condemned her to . She is still my sister, no matter her choice, and I would never have forgiven myself if something happened to her because I had withheld the money from her. It was made clear, to both , that there would be no more money after the dowry was paid and at the time I believed that Wickham might genuinely have some fondness for her. I had hoped that her nature would have some calming effect on him but as the months go by I have less of that hope. They disappeared two weeks after Wickham gained access to her money."

"I despise the very question I am about to ask, Mr Darcy, however it must be done. Is it possible that she has been abandoned or killed so that Wickham might enjoy her fortune?" Mr Gardiner asked the question that had haunted Darcy's mind for many months. The question that, if answered in the positive would set in stone the possibility that he would never again see his sister.

"No," the certainty in his tone effectively hid the tremor in his soul at the thought. He had been careful to do what he could to protect Georgiana from even her husband. "The contract Wickham was made to sign when I handed over my sister's dowry clearly stated that in order to have access to the money he would need to have her present. In the event of her death without issue the money would return to me. Should their union bear fruit the money would belong to the child. It was all that I could do to protect her from him. I doubt he would fall so low as to harm her, let alone kill her, but I had to give her what protection I could."

"Which I am certain you have done to the best of your ability," Mr Gardiner replied. "I must ask, however, sir, your sister is married now. Granted the man is a scoundrel but it does mean that the responsibility of her care and well being is no longer yours as it falls, now, upon him. Why spend your time, and what we both know will be a considerable amount of money, on attempting to find two people who obviously do not wish to be discovered? Your conditions upon her dowry should be enough to protect her from any real harm."

"She is my _sister, _Mr Gardiner, there does not need to _be_ another reason." In the past, perhaps, Fitzwilliam Darcy would have left his response at only this tense reply, unaccustomed to answering to anyone at all let alone a man of lesser standing in society. After eighteen months of of worry and self recrimination, however, he found that he had to put a voice to the thoughts that had plagued him since the day he had discovered Georgiana's elopement. "Unfortunately, I have several other reasons. Not the least of those being that I was aware of the true nature of his character for _years_ before he approached my sister and I told her nothing of it. I failed to warn my sister that the man was a wastrel, a scoundrel and a rake because I did not wish to tarnish her childhood memories of a man who was always kind to her.

"Or perhaps the fact that out of _pride_ I bought up any number of his debts and indiscretions so that our family would not be coloured and shamed by our association with him should those debts catch up with him," he paused as he got to his feet and went to the window. The streets below were full of tradesmen and workers and carts filled with goods bound for warehouses. The noise of industry filtered up to him as he continued. "I fear that Wickham could quite easily squander even as large a sum as thirty thousand pounds within a matter of years and thus condemn my sister to that same level of poverty I have sought to protect her from."

"You understand that I would like to help you, but you must be aware from your own efforts that such investigations are expensive. My funds are not unlimited, you must understand that I cannot afford to give you the aid that you request purely from the goodness of my heart."

"Nor would I expect it," Darcy insisted, "not even from a dear friend would I expect such aid to be given without recompense."

"Which is greatly to your credit," Mr Gardiner's words were soft as though use of a bolder tone would shatter the tension of the room into something more dangerous than the anguish of a near stranger. "You will have my aid, Mr Darcy. In the interest of discretion, however, might I suggest that I pass any findings I might make through my nephew?"

"That is more than acceptable," Darcy did not turn from the window where he was regaining his composure.

"You must have much to do, Uncle," Bingley spoke at last after casting a worried glance in the direction of his friend. "If you will excuse us we will take our leave so that you might attend your business. Will we see you on Thursday?"

"My wife would be extremely displeased if she were to miss dinner with her favourite nieces. We shall see you Thursday," Mr Gardiner agreed shaking his nephew's hand.

oOo

Elizabeth laid her letter from Mary to one side with a sigh. Though not prone to bouts of melancholy and not possessing a personality that supported them, when they did occur, for long periods Elizabeth was, nonetheless, as capable as the occasional bleak mood as any other. After several days of severe wet weather had prevented even the most determined of callers she was somewhat more black of mood than was her wont. This had been the result of three days with only Jane, Bingley and Caroline for company. Jane and her husband were easy to get along with, both content to leave Elizabeth to her own devices when necessary and aid one another in providing entertainment for the other occupants of the house the rest of the time. Caroline, however, was an altogether different matter.

The last remaining unmarried Bingley sibling seemed to have decided that Elizabeth was to be something of a pet project. That it was entirely for _Caroline's_ own benefit Elizabeth was certain. Unattached as she was Caroline would have no desire to provide an equally fashionable, attractive, rival for herself. Even under the pretence of forming a closer friendship with her new sister Elizabeth was well aware of Miss Bingley's more mercenary nature. Caroline did not seek to create an _equal_ for herself she sought, instead, to save herself the embarrassment of being seen with a woman so unfashionable and of a taste and style so inferior to her own.

Unfortunately for Miss Bingley Elizabeth had absolutely no desire to quietly acquiesce to her attempts at improvement. Of equal misfortune to Elizabeth it meant hiding in any place that she could find so that she could avoid the kind of heated debate which left the atmosphere in the house tense and uncomfortable. Which had resulted in her perusal of Mary's letter with a little more care than she would usually have devoted to such a missive. As expected from her immediate younger sibling the letter was full of quotations from Fordyce's Sermons demonstrating the evils of Kitty and Lydia's behaviour since Elizabeth had come to visit Jane. That her youngest sisters had become, if possible, sillier was not of any surprise to Elizabeth. Without Jane's calming influence and her own voice of reason Kitty and Lydia had been spoilt by her mother. Her father's disinterest she was well aware of, Mr Bennett preferred to hide in his study than inflict the noise of his wife and youngest children upon himself.

With the insistence at attempting to make her more fashionable from Caroline and Mary's letters indicating that her father's life long disinterest was proving more damaging that she could have suspected, Elizabeth was beginning to wonder if she should give some consideration to returning home sooner than planned. Her father's letters frequently lamented the loss of his more sensible children, Kitty and Lydia were, at best, appalling correspondents and Mary had a tendency to see the evil in everything. It meant that Elizabeth could not be certain that her return was really so very urgent. Besides, she had to weigh up which was the greater of two evils: Caroline Bingley's relentless obsession with attempting to turn her into a fashionable lady or her mother's howls of anguish when she returned home without even the prospect of an engagement.


	4. Chapter 4

_I'd offer apologies for the length of time it's taken me to get this out. I got part way through writing this, however, and promptly went into labour. Go me, I had a baby girl. So, yeah, I got kind of distracted with my daughter and today is the first time I've felt inspired and caught up enough with things around the house to settle and write a little bit. I'll blame raging hormones for anything in this chapter that seems out of place._

As her remaining time in London passed and began to come to an end Elizabeth found herself to often be in the company of Mr Darcy. For a man supposedly shunned by society the company that he was welcomed into was remarkably similar to her own. She supposed that people would tolerate his presence out of respect for his aunt and uncle, Lord and Lady Matlock, but she was not blind to the fact that after he left a gathering the mutters, whispers and gossip would start. His continued presence in town, a place it must have been a torture for him to be, could only be attributed to familial obligation; perhaps even the continued search for his sister. Even a man almost completely shunned by the Ton, however, could not be expected to live the rest of his days as a hermit and so it was that Mr Darcy would often be found in the Bingley town house, the one place where he would not be met with stares and ridicule. Those meetings would pass pleasantly enough in light conversation and she had even found him to have something of a well hidden sense of humour.

For Elizabeth, however, the most memorable of her meetings with him was on the final Thursday afternoon before she was scheduled to depart. With her withdrawal to Longbourne now imminent she had concluded that the time had come to search for gifts for her parents and sisters. Her mother, Lydia and Kitty were easy to buy for and gifts had been found in the form of a new shawl for Mrs Bennet and ribbons for Kitty and Lydia of a much higher quality than usually found in Meryton. Mary, too, had proved remarkably easy to find a gift for and several sheets of music had joined Elizabeth's purchases for the day. This had left only her father and he was decidedly more difficult to please.

Caroline and Jane, who had accompanied her, had quickly tired of the dry book store as Elizabeth studied the available titles. For Miss Bingley books held little interest and served only as a topic of conversation when there was little else to be had or a gentleman to be impressed. Jane, on the other hand, though fond of reading did not have her younger sister's love of the occupation and, finding herself unexpectedly fatigued, had suggested that they leave Elizabeth to her deliberations while she and Caroline went to wait for her in a tea room down the street. Aggravated by Caroline's increasingly exaggerated sighs of boredom Elizabeth had agreed to the scheme with a great deal more enthusiasm than was necessarily proper. It was as she was contemplating the merits of Socrates, Cicero and Plato over a new publication on estate management, therefore, that she was greeted by Mr Darcy.

"That is a collection of some weight for a young lady," Darcy commented once the customary pleasantries had been taken care of.

"Indeed, sir," she agreed, "I am certain that many would agree with you. Unfortunately, however, the daughter of a country gentleman does not have the same ready access to the popular novels that a lady in town might. My father has a well stocked library but, I fear, he has little use for the kinds of books that the ladies of the Ton might enjoy. Such works as these, therefore, are the kinds of book that I would often find myself reading on an especially dull afternoon." She smiled at the surprise he failed to conceal." I confess, however, that the choice you find me agonising over is not in pursuit of a volume for myself but a gift for my father upon my return home."

"Are you to return so soon?" Enquired he. "The season is not yet over."

"I believe that I have had all of the experience of London society that I could wish for," she replied, unable to keep the obvious disdain from her voice. "I find myself longing once more for the good friends from home and the neighbours whose gossip and schemes I am more familiar with."

"Will there be nothing from town that you shall miss?" He asked, taking one of the books from her so that he might look through it, though _why_ he should do such a thing she could not possibly comprehend.

"The theatre," she smiled, "I should dearly like to see another play. My aunt and uncle and dear young cousins," she paused and turned her eyes fully upon him. "Even, perhaps, the new friends that I have managed to acquire in my time here." He looked up sharply from his perusal of the book, returning her grin with a seemingly involuntary smile of his own after little more than a heartbeat.

"Doubtless your sister will invite you to stay with her again," he offered after a long pause.

"I do not doubt it," she laughed, "Jane and I have always been close and I cannot imagine that she would wish to remain at Netherfield all the time. To come to London with only Caroline Bingley for company-" she let the sentence tail off, more aware of the impropriety of her words than she perhaps would have been among her family and horrified at the mortification which spread through her. Though not eager for Darcy's opinion of her to be anything other than that of a friendship, certainly she did not long for his tender opinion, there was an ease to their conversations that she did not wish to lose. "Forgive me."

"Not at all," he inclined his head and the half smile which so improved his normally handsome, if stern, features had returned. "I have spent many an hour in the company of Miss Bingley and I am well aware of how trying the experience can prove to be."

"You understand my meaning perfectly," Elizabeth assured him. "Will you remain in town for the rest of the season?"

"I think not," his features clouded and she regretted the loss of that easy smile almost immediately. "I have ever been uncomfortable in society. I much prefer the company of close friends and family and with my present circumstances being what they are-" It was the first time that Elizabeth had heard him mention, even if only to hint at, the loss of his sister and she found the agony on his face difficult to bare.

"Blessed is the man with only a handful of dear friends," she told him, words she had heard from Mary a number of times though she had never believed she would repeat them, "for but one friend of the truest nature is better than two dozen acquaintances." She had been staring up at him as she spoke, unaware of her own actions until she noticed her hand upon his forearm in a gesture of comfort much like she would offer her own sisters.

"I have always believed so," he half whispered. "Certainly, it is now very clear to me who my true friends are." Neither party commented on the hand which still rested on his arm, neither seeming to want to bring embarrassment to the other.

"I did not know you before, sir," her voice was no less soft, "but I think perhaps we could have been good friends. Maybe before I leave town I will have the pleasure of seeing you again?" Though forward Elizabeth could not think of a reason not to ask the question, she found herself quite desirous of his company at least once more before her departure on Monday.

"I have no doubt of that," Darcy assured her. "Forgive me, I am keeping you from your shopping. Good day." He returned the book to her with a low bow and soft smile, a smile that she returned, and departed.

Her decision made Elizabeth set the other three volumes to one side. The book on estate management that Darcy had handed her would be her gift to her father.

oOo

For Darcy the meeting in the book shop was as memorable to him as it was to Elizabeth. While her behaviour towards the end of their conversation would appear to many to be overly forward, he had found it comforting in a manner he was unaccustomed to. Many women in the past had used such gestures and tactics to try and seduce him into a marriage he would never find happiness in. He could not find it in himself to believe that Miss Bennet's actions were anything other than an expression of concern for a friend.

Her company, he had come to realise, was something that he had found a great deal more enjoyment in than he had first thought he could. For Darcy time spent with the ladies of society, young and old, was often something of a trial. He rarely found that he had anything in common with them, discussions of fashion and gossip topics that were of little interest to him, and the schemes of the society mamas, both obvious and subtle, were a concern which often caused him to alienate even the more intelligent of female companions. Avoiding a loveless marriage had long been a concern of Darcy's, he had long believed that wealth would not prevent him from finding a woman he could find mutual love and respect for. He had also come to believe that his dream of felicity in marriage had been materially damaged, if not destroyed, by Georgiana's elopement. He had come to ask himself what woman would wish to marry into a family so disgraced, whether for love or wealth. He had come to wonder what kind of a woman could be happy in a family so shunned by society.

Elizabeth Bennet, he was beginning to think, could well be that kind of woman and thoughts of that nature were more of a source of concern than any number of the scheming mamas of the Ton_._

_Artemis_


	5. Chapter 5

_This was written on my iPhone in the night while feeding my daughter. What else is a body to do in a dimly lit room while her significant other snores like a chainsaw and her baby eats? So any odd bits can blamed on a combination of the phone and nodding dog syndrome. Thanks again for all the reviews (and congratulations) they've provided quite a bit of motivation._

The return carriage ride to Longbourn was as uneventful as Elizabeth's journey to London had been. On this occasion, however, she was not accompanied by the Bingleys. Instead she shared her carriage with her aunt and uncle and their children. The excited chatter of the young Gardiners filled the small space and Elizabeth allowed herself to hope that the presence of her aunt and uncle would serve to lessen her mother's near inevitable hysterics at discovering her lack of suitors. Mrs Bennet, Elizabeth knew, would expect her daughter to return with a suitor at the very least. Ideally, her least favourite daughter would return engaged and perhaps, if the man proved wealthy enough, she might be prevailed upon to finally forgive Elizabeth her refusal of Mr Collins. Charlotte Lucas, who had accepted his proposal a mere four and twenty hours after Elizabeth's rejection, was never mentioned unless out of necessity or during a fit of nerves as Mrs Bennet thought about the future. Not even Jane marrying Mr Bingley, an act which had elevated her status to that of a saint in the eyes of her mother, had spared Elizabeth her mother's tirades. The invitation to London three months after the wedding, therefore, had been a great relief even though it had meant spending more time under the same roof as Caroline Bingley.

Elizabeth was most curious to discover if the changes which had occurred in her home after Jane's engagement and subsequent marriage had continued during her month in town or if old habits had prevailed. Her father, usually so indifferent to the general management of his estate and purse beyond ensuring they did not fall into debt, had taken a look one morning at the expense of the wedding and vowed to keep a tighter rein on his wife's spending. Even though Jane had made a most advantageous match he was not foolish enough to believe that there would be a worthy gentleman of sufficient means for each of his five girls. The best he could hope for would be that Elizabeth could find a man she could hold high enough esteem to marry so that she could take on an unmarried sister or even her mother in the event of his untimely demise. With her help, therefore, he had finally begin to look more closely at the management and profitability of his estate, if only to protect his daughters. Elizabeth allowed herself to suspect that his sudden interest in maintaining an estate entailed away from his own children was a new way for him to avoid the nerves of his wife and the silliness of his two youngest daughters. His determination, however, was hindered somewhat by the fact that his wife doted upon Lydia more now than ever before.

As she had expected the occupants of the carriage were greeted with a great deal of noise and unfounded worry. For a brief period Elizabeth was able to avoid the question of her status on the marriage market while her mother and youngest sisters asked about their health and the latest fashions. Elizabeth would normally avoid the discussion of sleeve lengths and dress cuts where possible,however, on this occasion she welcomed the distraction it provided.

"Did you attend a great many balls, Lizzie?" Kitty enquired of her.

"Some," replied she. "It was Jane's first season and a great many people were eager to meet her."

"Did you dance with many rich men? Were they handsome?"

"There were some men of wealth, and some of them were quite handsome indeed," Elizabeth smiled. "I believe, however, that many of them were far more impressed with themselves and their position in society than they were with me."

"Was there no one who caught your eye?" Kitty pressed and for the briefest of moments Elizabeth allowed her mind to wander to Mr Darcy.

"None," she answered finally. No matter how handsome she had thought the gentleman from Derbyshire or how she had enjoyed his conversation she was well aware that he could not allow himself to develop any form of regard to her. The circumstances surrounding his sister's elopement, such a betrayal of trust between siblings, would render him more cautious than ever before and entirely distracted from anything other than trying to discern the truth about her current circumstances.

"Did Mr and Mrs Bingley give any hint as to when they might return to Netherfield?" Mrs Bennet asked, for the moment ignorant of the topic of conversation between Elizabeth and Kitty.

"They did not," Elizabeth responded, "though I believe it shall be once the season has ended."

Even though Mrs Bennet had been most eager to marry her eldest daughter to Mr Bingley in her quest to secure the future of her family, Elizabeth suspected that she had not considered just how much she would miss her eldest daughter. Naturally, Mrs Bennet was also eager for Jane's return so that she might show her off to the neighbourhood once more, however, Elizabeth felt that she also longed for the company of her eldest child. Certainly Jane had always been more tolerant of the younger girls and more ready up acquiesce to get mother's demands than Elizabeth and before her trip to town Elizabeth had found herself struggling with the change at home.

"And you, Lizzie? Is your father to expect any visitors asking after you?" Elizabeth blushed for the question and wondered a moment at her desire to return home when she had been aware this was awaiting her.

"No, mama," she said, "the gentlemen in town held little interest for me."

"Well now, Lizzie," her aunt interjected, "what of Mr Darcy? He seemed to hold you in some esteem."

"Mr Darcy is no more than a friend, Aunt," Elizabeth felt a blush once more spread across her cheeks. Darcy was shy and had been grievously injured by his sister and former friend, any partiality that her aunt had seen directed towards _her _had been the result of her being one of the few people in the room whom he knew well enough to call friend. "Beside, he is hardly in a position to make me an offer even if he did hold me in that high a regard."

"Not married, surely?" Mrs Bennet gasped. "Oh, Lizzie, to capture the eye of a married man! Would you ruin us all?"

"He is not married, Mama, nor is he engaged," Elizabeth fought to keep her tone level and not take offense at her mother's careless words and assumptions. It would not be the first time Mrs Bennet had misunderstood her strong willed second daughter. "He is rich but has recently suffered a grave misfortune, which is all I shall say on the matter, and that prevents him from seeking a bride at this time."

Her words, though intended to bring an end to the matter, caused her mother to once more begin to lament her refusal of her cousin, who would surely turn them out as soon as Mr Bennet was in his grave, and the hardship Jane would face in having to provide for all of them. As she had since the day after the ball at Netherfield, Elizabeth weathered the tirade in silence while Mrs Gardiner tried to talk some sense into her mother. Silently, however, she allowed herself to wonder if even marrying a wealthy man would be enough to earn her mother's forgiveness.

oOo

Darcy sat in a large leather chair before the fire in the study of his town house. His cravat hung loose about his neck and he held an empty glass in his left hand. It had been two weeks since Elizabeth Bennet had departed and in that time he had surprised himself by thinking of her every day. Even though he had been determined not to allow his heart to be affected by her, the opposite appeared to be true. Instead of being unmoved by her loss he found himself mourning the fact that he would not soon see her laughing eyes before him or hear her wit filled retorts to some of the more spiteful ladies in his circle. It had been a joy to spend time with her and now that she had returned to Hertfordshire he found his days now lacked some of that enjoyment her presence had provided.

He had enjoyed himself for the first time since Georgiana had eloped and a small part of him felt guilty for it, that he should enjoy himself so much when he knew his sister must be suffering. It made him wonder how he would have reacted to her had he met Elizabeth under different circumstances. he wondered if he would have still found her eyes so bewitching or the sound of her laughter so enchanting. He wondered if he could ever have taken notice of the daughter of a country gentleman whose means and position were so far from his own. For all this, however, he allowed himself to come to one conclusion: he had to see her again and determine whether she would have him even with the shame his sister had brought him.

_Artemis_


	6. Chapter 6

_So there was going to be more of this but these two waffled on quite a bit for some time. Again I wrote this while feeding the baby on my iPhone which has a habit of autocorrecting things in quite a bizzare way. If there are any major bobbles I didn't catch during my three proof reads it will be down to that. Feel free to point them out. _

Although Mr Darcy had decided to travel to Hertfordshire so that he might get to know Elizabeth Bennet better there was still the matter of permitting himself to do so. His sister's current circumstances, he was certain, would be less than comfortable. He could not in good conscience allow himself to seek his own happiness while she must be suffering. He had barely returned to Pemberley since she had disappeared, there were too many memories to torture him and his estate was too remote should there be any word of her. Hertfordshire, he knew, would be just as remote.

"Darcy, this has to stop," the voice of his cousin came from the study door. Mr Darcy looked up from the letter he had been writing to meet the concerned eyes of Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"I do not understand you, cousin, what are you referring to?"

"This, Darcy," Fitzwilliam gestured to the desk and the papers littered across it. "Georgiana would not wish for you to hide yourself away in darkness and misery."

"I failed her, I should have warned her of the truth of Wickham's character and instead I left her with the ignorance of an innocent child."

"You are not her only guardian," the Colonel responded, seating himself in the chair on the other side of the desk. "I, too, could have told her how different Wickham was from the man that she had known as a child. Georgiana was as much my responsibility as she was yours, and I, too, had hopes that allowing access to her dowry would convince Wickham to allow us knowledge, at the least, of her whereabouts. I should have suspected that he would vanish as soon as he had it."

"We both should have," Darcy agreed.

"I think not. Such levels of malicious deceit are not something you could possibly conceive of. You are far too honourable a man, cousin."

"You do yourself no justice, Fitzwilliam, you are no less honourable than I."

"Perhaps," the Colonel plucked at a loose thread in the arm of his chair, "but many of the men I have associated with over the years are more prone to deceit than we. They have taught me a great deal that men of our station would not otherwise have known. I did not come here, however, to debate which of us has a greater knowledge of the darkness in the souls of some men."

"You would have me leave town," Darcy stared at his cousin. Such a disappeoving gaze would have intimidated a lesser man. Fitzwilliam, however, merely met it with one of his own.

"I would have you live, cousin. I would have you seek some small joy or happiness rather than continue under this bleak cloud. The search for Georgiana will continue but our people do not need you here for that to happen."

"Where would you have me go?" Darcy demanded as he got to his feet, his voice raised with obvious frustration. "Should I go to Rosings so that our aunt can pass judgement on Georgiana's choice? So that she can remind me of my failure to protect my sister as was my duty?" He took a number of agitated steps towards the unlit fireplace before turning to the Colonel once more. "Or maybe I should go back to Pemberley and once more subject myself to the agony of all the memories of her that place can provide?"

"You speak as though she is dead, Darcy!" Fitzwilliam exclaimed in shock.

"As it stands she may as well be so!" There were few in the world that Darcy would ever have allowed to see him so distraught. Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam was one of them. "With Wickham as a husband I cannot help but imagine all kinds of misery in her future, miseries she must already be suffering. The man squandered four thousand pounds in less than two years. It is not a stretch to wonder how little time it would take him to waste thirty thousand. How can I be expected to seek my own happiness when she is so condemned?" Both men were silent for a long moment. "Society has little desire for the presence of a man who would allow his ward to act in so scandalous a manner, your mother and father's position protects you from much of their censure."

"As it would help to ease your position if you would only allow it," Fitzwilliam replied. "Our search for Georgians will continue, I am not suggesting that it stop, but you also have other duties to attend to. We are both responsible for the yearly audit of Lady Catherine's books and ensuring she does not exceed her considerable means as she can be wont to do. I refuse to attempt it alone again this year and while I can acknowledge that your steward has done an exceptional job of maintaining Pemberley during your frequent and extended absences there is a duty to that land and it's tennents he cannot perform. He cannot give them a mistress or an heir."

"You sound like Lady Matlock," Darcy accused as he watched his cousin come and join him by the fire. There was still evidence of a slight limp to the Colonel's gait and he found himself wondering if his cousin's leg would ever fully heal.

"Much as I detest talk of marriage in general, my mother managed to draw some valid conclusions on the matter while I was trapped in the house. Never break a leg, Darcy, it leaves you at more tender mercies of those who would visit you with no hope of escape. As quickly as I was able to hobble away from her she was able to catch me." He let out a humourless chuckle. "She is determined to help you find a suitable wife, she no more wants Pemberley to fall into the hands of a Wickham than you would."

"I am not going to spend the next two months meeting every brainless young fortune hunter your mother sends my way, cousin," replied Darcy, his frustration clear.

"You know my mother would not foist a brainless woman upon you," though unspoken there was a reproach about the Colonel's tone, "but if you truly wish to avoid it I suggest you leave town. Perhaps that you even allow her to believe there is a woman involved."

"I despise deception, Richard," Darcy shook his head.

"As I am aware," he acknowledged, "however, I understand that Bingley is to return to his estate in Hertfordshire shortly and that Mrs Bingley's family live close by. I also understand that Mrs Bingley's sister is uncommonly pretty, single, and that she spent a great deal of time staying with them recently."

"Yes, she was present during any number of my visits to Bingley and she has met your parents. I believe Lady Matlock even invited her to tea one afternoon." Though his reply was disinterested Darcy could not help but wonder at the direction of his cousin's thoughts.

"So if you were to leave town and accept an invitation from the Bingley's to visit with them for a time my mother's conclusions on the matter would be her own, would they not?" The Colonel's smile was sly and his eyes sparkled with mirth. "Perhaps I will even join you, if Bingley is amenable to the idea."

"Do you not have to return to your regiment, cousin?" Darcy queried.

"A broken leg caused by falling from a dying horse is a serious injury, Darcy, and one which I believe will keep me from active duty for some time. Besides, time in the country will be good for my recuperation. It will enable me to build up my strength once more and I am almost certain that I can convince my physician to agree with me."

It was a plan which Darcy could agree with, if not wholeheartedly. At least, he mused, it allowed him to assuage some of the guilt he would inevitably feel at leaving town and his more active role in the search for his sister. It would now have to fall to his agents and contacts to continue it, in the meantime he would be free to determine whether or not Elizabeth Bennet could see past the scandal of Georgiana's elopement and become his wife. If not, perhaps the time in an unfamiliar place would help clear his head and ease the agony in his soul.

_Artemis_


	7. Chapter 7

_Again, huge thanks out to everyone who has been reading and reviewing. This fic is all that is keeping me sane and awake during the night time feeds (and occasional bed change after my beautiful girl decides to over eat). Once more it has been written entirely on my phone which may occasion so bizzare autocorrects even during proof reading so stick with me. _

Much to Elizabeth's dismay it had not taken long for Mrs Bennet to begin pointing out that her second daughter had once again returned from a trip unengaged and without even the hint of a suitor. Jane, she would point out almost hourly, had been engaged by this age and that while Elizabeth was not as beautiful she was not a plain woman either. In Mrs Bennet's opinion if Elizabeth merely smiled, kept her mouth shut and did not express her thoughts with her usual impertinence she could have long ago found a husband. The intelligence, therefore, that Mr and Mrs Bingley were returning from town and bringing two gentlemen friends with them sent her into a flurry of activity. Her daughters would need new clothes, they would have to be presented at their very best to these two gentlemen, and she was utterly determined that Elizabeth would capture the heart of one of them.

As far as fortune went she was utterly oblivious, although Elizabeth was certain that any young man with a good living of at least a thousand per year was now fair game, for no one in town could get the identities of the gentlemen beyond that which Jane had put in her letter to Elizabeth. She had merely stated that a Colonel Fitzwilliam and his cousin would be staying with them for a time, not even her letter to Elizabeth had contained any further information beyond an expression of her conviction that Lizzie would enjoy the company of both men. For their part Lydia and Kitty cared not for the identity of the second stranger. Since the militia had been quartered at Meryton nearly two years before their eyes had been only for officers. That one of the Bingleys guests was to be such a man was all they were concerned about.

The Bingleys arrived late the night before the next assembly in Meryton, a fact which Mrs Bennet lamented bitterly since Mr Bennet had declared the horses unavailable for the carriage and Elizabeth had declared that she would allow Jane a day of recovery from her travels before calling upon her. The identity and living of the mysterious second man would have to remain unknown for another day and there was little chance, now, that they would attend the dance. A fact which Elizabeth found that she could not be unhappy about.

When she had departed London she had given little thought to the acquaintances she would be leaving behind. During her time with the Bingleys Elizabeth had only gained the friendship of two ladies, whom she had every intention of corresponding with, and though she missed their conversation she had been correct in her assessment that she could do quite well without their regular calls. Indeed, of all the new friends she had made while in town it was Mr Darcy she felt the loss of most keenly. Her heart, she maintained, had not been significantly touched, even with the stain on his family name she believed him to be far from her reach, it was merely that she had never before had a man of such intelligence listen to her as he had. She had never had a man look at her and see more than a pretty face and a wide streak of impertinence. While she was certain that she was not in love with Mr Darcy, or even on the way to it, however, she was very sure that any other gentleman she could meet in the future would have a hard time meeting the standards that her friend had set. At least if the Bingleys and their guests were to miss the Meryton assembly she would not immediately meet men who she would unfairly be comparing to a friend she might not see again for some time.

It was with surprise, therefore, that she turned from a conversation with Maria Lucas to look across the hall and see her sister and the rest of the Netherfield party enter. It also came of something of a shock to notice that of the four only one was a stranger to her. The other was a man she had not thought to see in the near future. Mr Darcy had come to Netherfield.

He surveyed the room with a look of grim disapproval and even from her position she could see that his gaze was flinty. To those who did not know him is demeanour would be thought proud, too high above them to approve of this gathering, and even Elizabeth had a moment of wondering if that was truly his mind on the matter. She knew him, however, and she knew of his discomfort in large gatherings of people of his acquaintance. To be plunged into a large room full of strangers must have been agonising for him. When his eyes found her, however, she saw the briefest ghost of a smile pass over his lips and it was almost without thought that she excused herself from Maria and went to join her mother and sisters who were all eagerly making their way to Jane's side. By some good fortune she made it to her sister first.

The customary pleasantries between them were quickly exchanged and she found herself introduced to Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam only a moment before her mother arrived. Bracing herself for a great deal of embarrassment Elizabeth moved to one side slightly and began to talk to Jane of her journey while watching her mother attempt to talk to Mr Darcy.

"Why did you not tell me?" She demanded softly, her voice low so that her mother would not hear her over the sound of the music and general chatter.

"We wished to surprise you," Jane smiled. "I know how much you enjoyed his company in town and I also know that if Mama had heard anything about him before we arrived she would not have rested until she had found a way to throw you into his path. Can you forgive me? I only wished to spare you those schemes and raptures I was so often surrounded by."

It was perhaps the most unforgiving thing Elizabeth had heard her sister ever say about their mother. Perhaps, she mused, long exposure to Miss Bingley and the freedom of running her own home had brought about this change. Her sister was seeing, possibly for the first time, that as good as she tried to wish people were it could not always be so. Elizabeth nodded her forgiveness and quickly changed the subject.

"I do not see Caroline with you," she stated as the rest of the Netherfield party joined them.

"No," Charles said with the smallest of frowns. "My sister decided she would much rather remain in town with Mr and Mrs Hurst than return to Hertfordshire."

From his tone Elizabeth could tell that the discussion between brother and sister had been more than a simple one about leaving town but wisely she did not press any further.

"I am sure we will miss her company," replied she diplomatically, earning herself a smile from Mr Darcy and a wry laugh from his friend.

"Miss Bennet, might I have the honour?" Darcy offered her his arm as the dance ended and another began. Knowing that people would soon begin to approach them in the hopes of an introduction, and suspecting that his offer to dance was as much to avoid them as it was due to enjoying her company, Elizabeth accepted. It was her duty as a friend, after all, to spare him what discomfort she could and if his offer if a dance flattered her own vanity in the process she would never own to it.

They had danced together in town many times, each aware of the grace and ease of movement in the other, but this dance felt different to Elizabeth. Somehow it was of greater significance than any that had passed before it. The warmth of his hand through the satin of her gloves was more thrilling than age had noticed before, sending tingles through her such as one might experience during a thunder storm. His eyes, too, held a greater warmth than she had seen in them before when they were outside the comfort of the Bingley town house.

"I am surprised to see you here, sir," she said to break the silence between them. They must, she reasoned, have some conversation even though she would not have been adverse to simply watching him in silence.

"I found that I had little desire to remain in town," he responded, "but equally I did not wish to return to Pemberley's empty halls. Bingley was kind enough to offer the Colonel and I an alternative. I found that rather than having to choose the lesser of two evils I could, instead, seek true enjoyment."

Elizabeth blushed at the implication of his words and the expression in his eyes as he uttered them. Words said with an intensity she had never before had directed at her. Suddenly she was all too aware of the eyes upon them, aware of her mother talking rapidly and loudly to Lady Lucas. She could see Lydia scowling from her seat next to Mary and the speculative glances of her father and Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"One should seek happiness and enjoyment when it is in one's grasp," she almost whispered. "You never know what will happen tomorrow."

"Indeed," he lead her from the floor as the dance ended. "Many people have been working in recent months to convince me of such a philosophy. I am beginning to ponder on the possibility that they might be correct."

He bowed over her hand and excused himself once she had been returned to her father's side. His words left her longing for a quiet moment to process their meaning and to wonder whether his arrival in Hertfordshire had less to do with not wishing to remain in town or return to his home and more to do with the idea of being near her once more.

_Artemis_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you again to all my reviewers. It's making this story that much easier to write. This chapter was written in an effort to distract myself. My baby was supposed to have a small operation this morning which was cancelled at the last minute. I've got to wait another two weeks for it now so nerves will be plentiful and writing sporadic. Just as fair warning._

The day after the assembly found Elizabeth walking to Netherfield shortly after breakfast to visit Jane. She had yet to decide if she was upset with her sister for keeping the information that Mr Darcy would be one of their party from her but found that she had no desire at all to revisit the events of the night with her mother and Lady Lucas. Certainly she knew that her partners would be the sources of Mrs Bennet's raptures and Lady Lucas' envy. She had danced with Darcy once more, the final dance of the night, and once with his cousin. While Colonel Fitzwilliam had also danced with each of her sisters Darcy had danced only with her and once with Jane. To her mother's eyes, and doubtless also to the rest of the town, this was a marked sign of his interest in her. To Elizabeth it was simply more evidence of how shy, and often wary, she knew him to be. They had, after all, been in each others company many times before he had danced with her in town for the first time.

Upon their return to Longbourne Mrs Bennet had wasted no time in berating her for not mentioning her acquaintance with Darcy sooner and Elizabeth had found herself wishing for the steady presence of her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner though they had left the week before. Her explanation that he had not been mentioned because there was nothing to mention had been scoffed at. As far as Mrs Bennet was concerned Mr Darcy's very presence in the area was a sign that he meant to offer for her hand. Elizabeth had fled to her room before Mrs Bennet could begin to repeat some of the intelligence she had gathered on the man in question. While she knew she would not evade her mother and the inquisition that would follow for long, a day with Jane would be sufficient to calm her in preparation.

It was as she reached the path near the edge of the park that she met Colonel Firzwilliam. He walked at a measured pace and seemed to favour his right leg, leaning more heavily on his cane than the young gentlemen of her acquaintance were wont to do. He paused when he saw her, waiting for her to join him on the path before greeting her and offering his arm as they walked towards the house together.

"I met Lord and Lady Matlock while I was in town," she spoke after they had exhausted the topic of the weather that morning. "Would I be correct in assuming that you are their son?"

"Indeed, Miss Bennet, you would," a rueful twist came to his lips. "Alas, however, I am the second son and so I must make my way in the world as a soldier."

"Such is the lot of second sons," Elizabeth agreed. "Unfortunately, the lot of second sons seems to be the military, the clergy or the la, no matter how aimiable they may be." He nodded with a wry smile. "You have seen combat recently?" Her eyes travelled to his leg before she recalled herself and brought them back to the path in front of them, a blush staining her cheeks.

"Unfortunately, this is an injury of my own foolish making rather than of battle," he shook his head. "My horse fell whilst I was riding him and I was not able to jump from the saddle. Fortunately, I suffered only a severe break and my leg was not crushed entirely. It does mean, however, I will not be fit to return to the field, or even to ride, for some time yet."

"Which is why you've joined your cousin," Elizabeth concluded.

"One of a number of reasons," he agreed although his tone indicated that he would not be willing to share those reasons should she ask. "I believe you met my cousin through Mr Bingley?" He asked after an uncomfortable pause. "I see him little in the company of strangers and I find myself intrigued by his behaviour." Elizabeth laughed as they entered the house together.

"Surely you have seen it before," she said as she removed her bonnet and spencer.

"Of course," he confirmed. "I must admit, however, that I had hoped he had improved."

"I suppose not everyone is easy in unfamiliar society," Elizabeth responded. "Should people take the trouble to draw him out, however, your cousin is very good company indeed."

"I fear not everyone would agree with you, Miss Bennet," the Colonel replied with some sorrow as he walked with her to the sitting room Jane preferred in the morning. "Perhaps I am biased in his favour."

"You think that because he is your cousin?" She enquired. When he gave her a brief nod in response she allowed herself a small sigh. "The simple fact that he is family and you grew together as children does not necessarily mean you would think well of him. You must own that the closer we are to a person the more able we are to see their faults."

"There, Miss Bennet, I cannot agree," for a man whose features spoke of a jovial and easy nature his tone was very grave. "Sometimes it is our love for that person closest to us which blinds us utterly to defects we perhaps should have noticed."

It could not possibly escape Elizabeth's notice that the colonel was referring to the former Miss Darcy. For the first time since she had met him in the grounds she wondered if he had another intention beyond polite conversation.

"I love my sisters dearly, sir," she said after a pause, her hand hovering above the handle of the door they had just arrived at, "it does not mean I am ignorant of certain flaws in their characters. It does not follow, however, that all those flaws are evils. Those in possession of naive innocence should be allowed to keep it for a time, the world will tarnish their view soon enough and not everyone has the temperament to laugh at it."

She left him to consider her words as she opened the door, aware that this would not be a conversation they would continue in front of her sister.

oOo

"Mrs Wickham," the doctor placed certain tools of his trade back into his bag as he spoke to the thin young woman on the bed, "I must advise you to increase the amount you are eating. Pregnancy puts a great strain on a woman's body and lack of a proper diet increases the risk of complications."

Georgiana Wickham got to her feet and went to the window, clasping her hands over her stomach which was now obviously swollen with child. Her eyes were dull as they looked over the street, taking in carriages and townsfolk as they went about their business.

"Thank you, Doctor," she muttered, "I will consider your advice."

She gestured to Mary and listened as her maid led the man from the room. She would have to speak to the older woman about involving the doctor, there was little that his input on the situation could do. Her own death, she had concluded, was all but inevitable. If she did not die in childbirth she was certain that her husband would have her killed as soon as she provided an heir. A child, after all, would be far easier to control than an embittered young woman. The one thing she consoled herself with was the thought that if she did die while giving birth perhaps the child would not survive either. That way her fortune would revert to her brother. It pained her to think that she might add to his agony in this way but she could see no other way out of her current situation unless Wickham were to die himself.

Her eyes lit upon a man standing across the street. Unlike most of the people passing him by he was unkempt, his clothes frayed and torn. His gaze, however, was fixed upon her house and it made her uneasy. Perhaps her husband had finally gotten himself in debt with the wrong people or seduced the daughter of the wrong man. She withdrew from the window, not wanting to be seen watching. There had been a time not long after their elopement when she had still believed that he loved her. During that time she would have warned him of the watcher. Now, however, she knew she would not. Let Wickham reap the rewards of the seeds he had sown. One way or another she would be free of him.

_Artemis_


	9. Chapter 9

_So my little girl had her operation. It went well but we're going to have to wait for a while to see if it was a success. I know a couple of people have expressed concern that she is unwell and I thank you for your concern. Her operation was actually to correct a birth defect with her foot so that she will be able to walk in the future. This operation was only the second step in a very long process. We'll be undergoing treatment until she's four sadly._

_Again this chapter was written on the iPhone so there is the possibility of weird autocorrects._

"So Caroline decided to stay in town with Mr and Mrs Hurst even though the season is over?" Elizabeth asked her sister as Jane poured their tea.

"Yes," her sister glanced out the window as she answered lending a rarely seen distance to her expression. "Mr Hurst introduced us to a Mr Beswick not long after you left us. He is to be in town this next month at least and will often be in company with the Hursts."

"Am I to assume that Caroline has set her sights upon him?" Elizabeth enquired.

"I believe she has," Jane nodded.

"Of course it has the additional benefit of delaying her arrival here," there was a teasing note to her tone, "and we are both aware that Caroline has little love for Hertfordshire."

"Lizzie," Jane admonished her sister gently. "Caroline was raised in the city, we cannot expect her to feel about the country as we do."

"Indeed not," Elizabeth acknowledged. "However, she wishes to marry a man of no small fortune which one would assume to be a landed gentleman with an estate of considerable size. Such a man could not be expected to spend the majority of his year in town."

"That may be, but perhaps marriage to the right gentleman would change her opinion."

"Oh, Jane," Elizabeth smiled, "you speak as though Caroline desires a marriage for love as we do instead of more mercenary means. Charlotte once told me that happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. Where Caroline is concerned I fear she may prove to be correct. Besides, would you say that your marriage to Mr Bingley has improved your enjoyment of the society in town?"

"I would own that I enjoyed my season there more than I have in the past," replied Jane, "but I can also admit that it is a relief to return to familiar scenery and old friends."

"Exactly. I wish her every happiness in the world but I cannot be blind to her faults. She is a woman of mercenary nature and no amount of time spent with her shall convince me otherwise," Elizabeth argued. Truthfully she had met women of a far more mercenary nature than Miss Bingley during her time in town but it still could not be said the she regretted this opportunity to spend time alone with her married sister. Jane's marriage had affected her far more than she had thought.

"Perhaps," Jane allowed, "but I hope she will put that aside and find a match of true affection at least now that she has seen how happy Charles and I are."

"Dearest, Jane," Elizabeth smiled fondly. "Until your goodness is universal your happiness shall be your own. You deserve every bit of it."

Both women glanced out the window once more, Elizabeth noting a change in the weather with alarm. Whilst her sister and she had been debating Caroline Bingley's decision to remain with the Hursts the fine weather had dissipated leaving all the blackness of an approaching rain.

"I must return Longbourne," she said as she rose.

"Nonsense, Lizzie," Jane admonished, sounding like their mother for the briefest of moments. "You will get caught in the rain and soaked to the skin. Stay here until it clears. Indeed I should like the company. It is not easy being the sole woman in a house full of men. I believe I understand how Papa must have felt all these years. Stay."

Well aware that this sudden change in the weather would result in Jane being without callers for the rest of the day Elizabeth acquiesced. Being reminded of the Bingelys other guests, however, brought to mind the odd conversation she had shared with Colonel Fitzwilliam.

"I have one or two small matters to attend with Mrs Blake," Jane informed her apologetically, "but then I shall yours until lunch at least. Would you excuse me a few moments?"

"Of course," Elizabeth smiled, pleased to have a moment to think on the conversation without alerting her sister to the nature of her distraction.

That there was a motive to Colonel Fitzwilliam's choice of topic was obvious. No one would broach such a subject with a new acquaintance otherwise. Elizabeth was aware that the Colonel's interest must be in her opinion of, and her friendship with, his cousin. The reason he might be so interested, however, eluded her. Granted she knew it could be simple curiosity, perhaps Lady Matlock had mentioned her for she was certain that it could not have been Darcy who had. It was most curious but perhaps it was not what Mr Darcy or Lady Matlock had said and was instead what had not been said. Perhaps his interest was due to Darcy dancing twice with a woman that he had never before mentioned being acquainted with.

It was possible, she supposed, that the Colonel wished to try and judge the depth of her feelings for Mr Darcy. It was possible that he wanted to ensure that her hopes were not too high as far as his cousin's intentions towards her were concerned. If she were honest with herself, however, Elizabeth was uncertain about her own mind on the matter. It was true that she liked Darcy a great deal but love him? His friendship with her had been a blessing in Town, a man of good sense who seemed to genuinely enjoy conversations with her and who had seen her impertinent nature with a well concealed kind of joy. Her hopes were most certainly of friendship but in that moment she began to ask herself if she wanted more of him.

Her musings were interrupted by the very subject of them.

"Forgive me, Miss Bennet," he bowed in greeting, "I was unaware you were here. I did not intend to interrupt your solitude."

"Indeed, sir, you found me lost in thought," she graced him with a smile. "It does not follow, however, that your interruption is unwelcome." Quite the opposite, she admitted in the privacy of her thoughts. His arrival had prevented her from arriving at a conclusion which could prove most difficult. "I was sorry to note that Miss Bingley had not joined the party," said she with a teasing look.

"I do not believe Hertfordshire hold the same joys for Miss Bingley as it does for you or I," was his reply.

"Indeed?" She arched a brow at his response. "Dare one ask what joys Hertfordshire offers you when you have been here but a day?"

"Good company," said he without hesitation, coming to join her at the window. Both lapsed into silence as they watched the promised rain begin to fall. His presence at her side caused Elizabeth to feel a relaxed sort of comfort and a warmth in his company she had scarcely paid any heed to before.

"I am glad you are here," she whispered barely loud enough to be heard. From the smile that crossed his features when she glanced in his direction she knew that he had.

oOo

Edward Gardiner read the letter from his agent with a measure of surprise and annoyance. Mr and Mrs Wickham had been observed a number of times in Brighton before they had left the town late one morning and not returned. His agent reported that a conversation with Mrs Wickham's maid had implied that this was not unusual behaviour. The man had sought, and been given, employment in the house that the Wickhams were renting. The young woman had indicated her hope that Mr Wickham's habit of moving his household from one town to another after only a few months would end now that his young wife was with child.

Several days later, and much to the dismay of the housekeeper, Wickham had returned early one morning beaten and foul tempered. He had ordered that that the house be packed up, their belongs placed in a cart and all staff, except Mrs Wickham's maid, were to be dismissed. It was frustrating to think that he had been so close to determining their location for Darcy. What news he did have to impart, however, could not be good. Mr Gardiner knew that Darcy would not be happy to learn his sister was with child.

It could not be kept from him, however, and so Edward Gardiner set pen to paper.

_Artemis_


	10. Chapter 10

_My apologies for how long it has taken to get this out. A combination of angry baby, hospital appointments and a car accident that has left me with whiplash in my left side do not make for good writing time. It creates something of a block plus typing isn't all that comfortable. On the plus side my plans are a little more solid for Georgiana now but I can't make promises about the regularity of chapter posting for the moment._

Jane Bennet was a woman known for her sweet and giving nature. She had no capacity for being devious or manipulative in the way of many women of the higher circles and nor could she bring herself to understand circumstances which could lead to the forming of such a nature. Her dearest wish, as all her closest friends and family knew, was for the happiness of those nearest and dearest to her for that would facilitate her own happiness in life. For her husband she wished to produce an heir and for her sisters she desired happy marriages to good men of suitable fortune.

What many failed to realise, however, was that while Jane did not possess the skills of observation that Elizabeth demonstrated she was neither blind nor foolish. It had not taken her long to notice that her husband's friend was more comfortable in the company of her favourite sister than he had seemed to be in any other setting. Neither had she missed the preference, though guarded, on Elizabeth's part. It had seemed a shame to separate the two but as she was not given to cunning and deception it had taken Jane some time to come up with a way to ensure they would meet once more. Once she had thought of the idea, however, it had not taken much persuading to convince her husband that it might be beneficial for Mr Darcy to stay with them for a short time. Mr Bingley had been remarkably receptive to the idea and had issued the invitation immediately.

Certainly in character the couple were opposites. Elizabeth was of a liveliness and wit which often left their mother in a state of some frustration and while this was known to make her popular in conversation with many gentlemen the only offer of marriage she had ever received had been from their odious cousin. By contrast Mr Darcy could be viewed as foreboding, serious and aloof where Elizabeth was cheerful and welcoming. Charles had assured Jane that Darcy' s serious mien had always been part of his nature but that it had become more pronounced since his sister's elopement. When Lizzie was present, however, she seemed able to induce him towards a smile, even on occasion a laugh could be heard, and where she seemed able to reach the more approachable man behind Mr Darcy' s serious nature he seemed capable of tempering her liveliness in a way that appeared to make her shine that much more.

Since the introduction of Mr Darcy into their circle Jane had heard much of the circumstances surrounding Miss Darcy' s elopement. She had heard of the loving brother and cousin who had raised a young girl between them to the best of their abilities. She had heard of Georgiana' s crippling shyness as a young girl and that she had been known as a great beauty. Jane could well imagine how enticing the whispers of love could be to a young woman. Once before, at seventeen, she had fancied herself in love. She had received his words of hinted affection with an eagerness and hope she had never before felt and the brief time Mr White had spent in Meryton had been the brightest moment of her life to that point. The day he had left had been of great sorrow for her but with a bittersweet sense for he had promised to return. Her heartbreak had been great when he had failed to keep his word but of short duration. It was little surprise that Miss Darcy could come to believe herself in love but Jane could not comprehend the agreement to follow a course which would cause so much anguish for her brother.

That Darcy was still suffering from her loss was obvious, that he felt it less when Elizabeth was near was also clear.

It had been a stroke of good fortune that the rain the previous day had lasted long enough for Jane to convince her sister to stay for lunch, even more so that not five minutes after her sister had announced her intention to walk back to Longbourne the heavens had once more opened. Had Jane been predisposed towards the same schemes as her mother she could not have planned it better. In fact, her mother had once used a similar ploy though it had not proved as successful as as she had hoped. At least Elizabeth had been able to spend time with Darcy. Jane Bingley was not normally given to ideas of matchmaking but in this instance it was somewhat different. There was every possibility that after Darcy left and resumed his quest to find his sister they would never meet again. Elizabeth had a real chance at happiness with Darcy if the pair could only be made to realise it.

She stood at her bedroom window, she had been rising earlier than was her habit the last few days, and watched her sister meandering along one of the smaller paths. Every now and again Elizabeth would pause to examine some leaf or flower. There was a peacefulness about her here that had been missing in London, it was not something she had noticed until they had returned, Elizabeth enjoyed the diversions of town but her heart was in the country. Even from this distance Jane could see her sister smile when Darcy joined her and offered his arm. She could see them as they walked, could see that they were deep in conversation and that knowing her sister as well as she did Lizzie was doubtless teasing her more serious companion.

Mrs Bingley was well aware that circumstances could soon turn against the unacknowledged couple, she knew that Mr Darcy' s sources could soon contact him with word of his sister's location. She only hoped it would not happen before a declaration was made

oOo

For Elizabeth the need to remain at Netherfield over night had been something of a mixed blessing. It had removed her from her mother's presence, and raptures, for longer than she could have hoped. It had also allowed her to spend more time with a sister she had missed terribly and a gentleman she had come to consider a friend. It had also, however, forced her to confront the idea that her feelings for that gentleman were rather more tender than they should have been. Mr Darcy had given her no encouragement after all and not even her vanity would allow her to believe that he had come to Hertfordshire with the purpose of seeing her.

The previous afternoon, however, had given her the briefest moment of a hope she had scarcely realised she had wanted to feel.

Jane had once again been called away by her housekeeper for a time and Elizabeth had found herself once more without employment. Having already watched the rain at Mr Darcy' s side once that day she had found no desire to do so again. The gentlemen, she believed, were all occupied with their own matters of business and she was aware from her prior visits that the library at Netherfield was quite hopeless. It was with some resignation, therefore, that she turned to the pianoforte and the small quantity of music sheets stacked there. The library in Bingley's townhouse, after all, was almost as bad as that of Netherfield and she had often found opportunity to practice in Town. There had been some small improvements in her skill and technique, therefore, and she supposed this was as good a time as any for a little practice.

With no one to perform to she opened the instrument and selected a piece slightly more challenging than she would normally have attempted if she had been in company. She picked her way through the opening bars, familiarising herself with the general tone and rhythm of the piece, her confidence increasing even as she hit the occasional incorrect note. She was enjoying herself to such an extent that she had not noticed someone had entered the room until she completed the piece and turned to see Mr Darcy watching her with an intensity that took her breath away.

"My apologies, Miss Bennet," he said after a moment, though he did not avert his gaze, "I did not intend to startle you."

"You seem to make a habit of appearing when I least expect you to, Sir," replied she, "I have ceased to be startled by it." She began to play another piece, this one not so complex and one that she knew well. It came as something of a surprise to her that the gentleman took a seat and closed his eyes to listen to her play. It surprised her all the more to realise that she did not mind it at all.

"You play delightfully, Miss Bennet," he informed her as she closed the instrument.

"You are too kind, Mr Darcy," she replied with a soft smile, "I am certain you are accustomed to the very best performances."

"Yet nothing has given me more pleasure," he assured her. "Many perform with the technical prowess of long practice, most fail to find the emotion in a piece."

"Perhaps it is easier to convey the emotion of a piece when one has experienced it," She offered. "My disposition, however, only allows me to play happy tunes, I am not made for melancholy."

The gentleman did not reply but the intensity had once again returned to his gaze. Elizabeth would have thought it one of disapproval had she not known him well enough to see the fire that burned in his eyes. This was not the look of a man seeking a fault, but the look of a man quite taken with that which appeared before him. It was an expression never before cast in her direction and now that it was Elizabeth found herself quite helpless against it.

"Miss Bennet," he began to move closer to her, closing a distance maintained out of a sense of propriety, and she began to become aware of the fact that they were completely alone in the room. "You must know that-"

"There you are, Darcy," Bingely's entrance could not have come at a worse moment for Elizabeth. "I have been looking everywhere for you. I need your advice on a matter." He seemed startled to notice that his friend was not alone in the room. "Elizabeth, forgive me I did not see you."

"That is quite alright, brother," she whispered while fervently hoping he did not notice the blush which had begun to stain her cheeks as a result of Darcy's intense gaze. "I will leave you to your business."

Once again her musings were interrupted by the subject of them. Just the memory of his eyes upon her had once more brought a blush to her cheeks and it only intensified as Mr Darcy came closer. There was no continuation of their conversation the previous day, in fact he was quieter and far more somber than he had been the day before. Elizabeth settled, instead, for a light and teasing conversation in an attempt to raise his mood. She saw it as a victory when she succeeded in making him smile, even if it was only the smallest of smiles.

That her sister was watching from her bedroom window was not missed by Elizabeth.

_Artemis_


End file.
